And yet, he did not play for the first four games of the season. The 49ers made him inactive, not even choosing him as a special teams player. He had a new sour memory to package with his somber draft day.
“That was something that definitely didn’t sit well with me,’’ Banta-Cain said. “It wasn’t even that I wasn’t good enough to play defense. I wasn’t good enough to play special teams, which is my bread and butter. That was very insulting.
“The way I felt for those four games, being inactive and watching, I’ll be able to hold on to that the rest of my life. I think even now, being with New England, all I have to do is think back to last year.’’
Banta-Cain played the final 12 games, but he registered only a half-sack. When the 49ers cut him, the Patriots overlooked what had happened in San Francisco, Belichick said. They liked Banta-Cain when they had him, and that had not changed.
In January, Banta-Cain and Belichick met. Shortly thereafter, Banta-Cain became a Patriot again.
“And it’s worked out well,’’ Belichick said. “He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do.’’
Two seasons later than he planned, it is a good year for Banta-Cain. He is playing again with the organization where he feels at home, proving that he can start on an NFL defense.
“When he got into the league, it was like, ‘Well, I’ll just prove it all over again,’ ’’ Joya Banta said. “I think he still has that. He’s got that seventh-round chip on his shoulder.’’
Even with his success, his motivation is unchanged. He knows that Artose Pinner is no longer in the league. He still uses his painful memories to drive himself.
“Those are the two - my draft year and last year in San Francisco,’’ Banta-Cain said. “Those are the two years that I’ll always go back to if I need fire.’’
